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PESTICIDAL PLANTS
Background and
history
Throughout Africa, poor rural communities use their knowledge about plants
to help protect field crops, stored grain and livestock from damage caused
by insect pests. This information has been passed down from generation
to generation and offers these people an effective, low cost, sustainable
and environmentally friendly pest management strategy. Mankind has known
about the insecticidal properties of certain plant species for millennia.
Analysis of grain stored in Oriental (3000-30 B.C.), Greek (2000-200 B.C.)
and Roman antiquity (500 B.C. - 476 A.D.) has shown that various plants
such as Cymbopogon spp. that were used to protect stored food
against insect damage are still widely used today in traditional farming
systems. Other insecticidal plant compounds such as rotenone from Derris
spp., Tephrosia spp. and
Lonchocarpus spp. are produced as ‘organic’ pesticides
by various commercial manufacturers and used widely in horticulture and
agriculture across the world. Similarly, the neem tree, Azadirachta
indica, one of the more famous botanical pesticides is still
widely used today in South Asia and parts of Africa and is also available
in various commercial products for pest management.
Why use pesticidal
plants?
Some pest problems can not be resolved without some intervention. Synthetic
pesticides are usually the first line of defense for a farmer. They can,
however, be toxic to users, consumers and the environment. In some parts
of the world, particularly Africa and Asia, pesticides are less well regulated,
and many more toxic products are still widely available and used. To make
matters worse, the products are often adulterated by dilution, mixed incorrectly
and sold beyond their expiry date and the use of these products can exacerbate
the problem the farmers are trying to address by encouraging the development
of resistance in the target pests. Furthermore, most products are sold
with English instructions for use and safe handling rather than the local
language while in any case many users are illiterate so the frequency
of incorrect application is high. Finally, these products come at significant
cost to farmers which they may not be able to afford. Pesticidal plants
offer these farmers a real and effective alternative to synthetic products.
Photo of a bottle Endosulphan, an insecide purchased
by a farmer in Africa. The label giving precautions and directions has
completely decayed.
Research has provided an understanding
of the plant chemistry and modes of action for plant species already used
by many farmers for pest control. This has shown that these pesticidal
plants can be used reliably and safely to treat crops, grain and livestock.
Legal registration of these botanical products is usually not required
for their promotion and an excellent overview of this topic is provided
by Murray Isman.
Constraints
There can, however, be problems associated with the use of pesticidal
plants including over-harvesting which threatens the diversity of habitats,
particularly Caesalpinioid woodland. A better scientific understanding
of how these plants work and where they grow will optimise their collection
and sustainable use in Southern Africa. Furthermore, efforts are underway
to propagate and cultivate those species most at risk. Also all plants
are not necessarily harmless, so a better understanding of their chemistry
can help to evaluate the associated risks. For example, nicotine, the
well known compound in tobacco plants is actually insecticidal and the
plant is consequently used for this purpose by some farmers. However,
nicotine is also well known for its toxicity to man and so the use of
tobacco plants for this purpose needs to be carried out with care.
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